WITH a number of players away at the ACBL Summer Nationals in Nashville, things are fairly slow on the local scene. Not too slow for Michael Bickley and Joe Wakefield, however, who racked up an impressive 72.3% in the International Fund Game on Friday, a result which should get them into the overall rankings ACBL-Wide — well done!

Most of you will have received the revised 2007 calendar from Richard and Wendy Gray — please note the date change for the Sectional (now October 5-8) and the Open Pairs (September 28 and October 1).

Not much in August (STAC Week 20/24 and the Ernie Owen Invitational on the 31st), so the next championship event is the Junior Teams from September 5-12, followed by the Open Pairs on the 28th.

Today’s hand is a real beauty, involving a play which works because it appears to do nothing but, in fact, retains total control of the hand.

Dealer: South

E/W Vulnerable.North

[spade]9

[heart]K 8 6 3 2

[diamond]A 5

[club]10 85 2

West East<$>

[spade]10 7 2 [spade]6 4

[heart]Q 10 5 [heart]J 9 7 4

[diamond]K Q J 9 [diamond]10 8 6 4

[club]Q 9 4 [club]J 6 3outh<$>

[spade]A K Q J 8 5 3

[heart]A

[diamond]7 3 2

[club]A K

West North East South

— — — 2[club]

Pass 2[heart] Pass 3[spade]

Pass 4[diamond] Pass 4[heart]

Pass 4[spade] Pass 5[club]

Pass 5[heart] Pass 6[spade]

Pass Pass PassThe bidding is from 1938 but is good. After the two club strong opener and a positive response, the jump to three spades sets the trump suit and allows North to cue bid the ace of diamonds and the king of hearts en route to the slam.

West leads the king of diamonds and the slam looks hopeless due to the heart blockage and lack of entries to dummy. Unless . . . you duck the opening lead! Look at the effect that has!

When West leads a second diamond, declarer can arrange a diamond ruff. On the other hand, a trump shift does the defence no good for declarer can win, draw trumps, unblock the ace of hearts and use the ace of diamonds as an entry to the king of hearts, on which declarer’s remaining diamond will disappear.

If instead declarer takes the ace of diamonds at trick one the defenders can prevent him ruffing a diamond and from ever seeing dummy again! Consequently, he finishes a trick short of his contract.

A really pretty hand!